With or Without This Ring
by shewarbler
Summary: In which Kurt & Blaine are engaged and living in New York, but a busy week in work makes Kurt forgetful and he loses his engagement ring.


It was early afternoon when Kurt finally awoke on Saturday. Having not been jerked awake by an alarm and with nowhere pressing to go, he relished the opportunity to just lie in bed and watch the sunlight dance across the ceiling. New York fashion week was _finally over_ , and while he was grateful for the opportunity to be involved in so much of the show, he was dam exhausted. Both he and Blaine knew the week would be busy, but neither man could have predicted that there would be nights where Kurt wouldn't even be able to come home. But the week was over, and he could stay in bed all day if he liked – even if Blaine wasn't here. The sound of his phone vibrating on the bedside cabinet forced him to roll over and with a groan, stretch out to reach it. He smiled as a picture of Blaine lit up the screen and sat up to answer the call.

"Good afternoon, sleeping beauty. I hope you're feeling refreshed." Blaine's cheerful voice floated through the phone to Kurt.

"You have no idea how good it felt not to have an alarm screeching at me before the sun rose. I might even just stay here all day." He flopped back onto the bed, "How are rehearsals going?"

Blaine sighed a little before he responded, "They're alright I guess. People are getting sort of snarky with each other, but I think it's just the stress of opening night approaching. We've been working on the same dance routine the past hour."

"Not that I imagine it's _you_ who is making everyone repeat scenes. Your dancing is impeccable." Kurt replied, with only the slightest tone of sarcasm.

Blaine chuckled a little and Kurt could hear the smile in his voice when he replied, "I like to think I've progressed a lot from the days of Warbler swaying and stepping. I'm going to try wrap up early today so I can come home sooner but I don't want to make any promises. I have some errands to run too but I'll try."

"Don't worry. Just concentrate on your rehearsal. I am definitely not going anywhere today." Kurt could hear the beginnings of a sound check in the background. "I've missed you so much this week. I knew it would be hectic, but that was just insane."

Blaine hummed in agreement, "I've missed you too. I'm looking forward to some quality time together when I get home." His voice lowered to a seductive tone, "It might save some time if you were to just stay in bed today."

Kurt laughed, "We'll see about that. I have been looking forward to a bubble bath all week. As has my skin." He scrunched his face a little as he ran a hand over it and felt its dryness.

Someone in the background yelled to Blaine, telling him they were ready for him onstage, and Kurt could tell Blaine was pouting when he spoke next, "I wish I was there to join you. Have a good day baby, I'll be home soon."

"Have a good rehearsal, but don't work too hard! I'll see you tonight. I love you."

Blaine chuckled down the phone, "I love you too, Kurt."

Kurt sighed happily as he hung up and placed his phone back on the table. He lay in bed for another few hours, enjoying the feeling of having no imminent tasks before he finally forced himself up and headed to the bathroom. Filling the tub with hot water and as many pleasantly smelling things he could find, Kurt sighed happily, looking forward to being able to relax.

* * *

Skin feeling thoroughly more nourished than before, Kurt padded back into his bedroom clad only in a pair of boxers (his best fitting pair he may add), still towel drying his hair. He glanced contemplatively at the bed for a moment, wondering how bad it would be to climb back in but his rumbling stomach made the decision for him. _Maybe I can bring snacks to bed…_ Kurt was thinking about the delicious kinds of food he could conjure up as he tossed the towel into the laundry basket and turned to his vanity to slap on an extra layer of moisturiser, just for good measure.

As he was rubbing his hands together he felt that something was different. Pulling them away he looked at his left hand and noticed he wasn't wearing his engagement ring. Kurt's brows furrowed a little, not remembering taking it off, but put that down to how exhausted he was when he came home last night and assumed he'd taken it off before bed. Assuming it would therefore be on the vanity table somewhere, he began to look through the mass of products that he and Blaine used, mentally berating Blaine for letting things get so messy. But when his ring wasn't there either, his fingers began to twitch nervously.

Ignoring the feeling in his stomach, he walked back into the bathroom in case he had taken it off before his bath and just forgotten. Still nothing. Kurt took a long breath to settle himself and tried to think rationally. _Okay…Clothes. I took my suit off in a hurry last night._

Dashing through to the bedroom again, he dug into the laundry basket to find his clothes from the previous night and tossed them onto the floor. One by one he untangled them, shook them free over the bed and checked each pocket - twice. When his ring didn't fall free from the crumpled clothes, he tossed them aside and pulled the bed sheets back, wondering if it had slipped off in the middle of the night. Kurt scoured every inch of the bed: within the covers, under the pillows, _inside_ the pillows and even yanked the mattress sheet free from the corners.

He still couldn't find it. Panic was very quickly settling itself over Kurt as he sat on the bed and wracked his brain, trying to pinpoint the exact moment he could last remember wearing his ring. The trouble was that he didn't even remember taking it off, so couldn't understand where or why it was gone. The fact that the past seven days were practically merged into one in his brain didn't help either.

A sudden brainwave hit Kurt and he leapt to his feet, heading toward the hallway. _Briefcase. Whenever I take it off at work I put it in my briefcase._ The case was still lying by the door where he tossed it last night, and Kurt momentarily retracted his statement about Blaine and tidying up, thankful he hadn't moved it. He snatched it up and headed to the dining table, promptly dumping its contents all over it and searching through them. When the ring still didn't turn up, Kurt ran his fingers through his hair as the panic really set in. He felt sick to his core. _It has to be somewhere…where was I last before bed…_

Kurt dashed back through to the bedroom after remembering showing off his ring the previous day, _in his office._ His hands shook slightly as he picked up the phone and dialled reception, praying to all that was good in this world that in his exhaustion he had taken it off for some reason and just left it on his desk. He paced impatiently while the god-awful hold music played, wondering who was in charge of choosing these songs and why they're music taste wasn't questioned beforehand.

* * *

The sun was just starting to set when Blaine arrived home, his body aching from the long day behind him. Rehearsals had, as usual, run late and he just managed to run his errands afterwards. He groaned as he began climbing the stairs up to their third floor apartment, wanting nothing more than to fall into bed beside Kurt and let his fiancé kiss his aches away.

Blaine had always appreciated quality time with Kurt, but he had relished it even more lately as both their work schedules became equally hectic, with neither job operating on sociable hours. But regardless of how long and stressful their days had been, they both enjoyed spending their evenings together and simply made the most of the time they had. Thinking a little about the things they could do tonight, Blaine smiled to himself as he reached their apartment door. He was surprised to be met by darkness when it opened but dropped his things onto the footstool all the same and headed to the living room.

"Kurt?" he called out, flipping on the lights as he did, "Kurt, are you-" Blaine stopped short as the lights flickered on in the living room and illuminated its current state.

Pillows and blankets were thrown everywhere, including the main couch cushions and the giant throw that had a permanent home on their leather arm chair. The chair itself was lying on its side on the floor and the couch had been shoved to the side, out of its usual alignment. Jackets were and bags were piled onto the coffee table and the dining table was covered with what looked like the contents of Kurt's briefcase – the offending object itself tossed to the side on the floor.

The entire time Blaine spent examining the room he battled to keep the panic from taking over him, thinking that the apartment looked like they had been broken into, even if their valuables seemed to be in place. He called out for Kurt again, the silence that greeted him doing nothing for his rising panic. "Kurt? Kurt, are you here? What's happened?"

Blaine's head snapped to the side when he heard shuffling coming from down the hall, and walked toward the bedroom where a dim light was shining into the hall. He cautiously peered into the room, fully prepared to defend his and Kurt's home if necessary. He didn't even get a chance to process the room before he saw Kurt, sitting on the floor against the bed completely huddled into himself and rocking back and forth ever so slightly. Blaine rushed to his side, barely even processing that Kurt was only half dressed, a million scenarios simultaneously running through his mind.

He dropped to the floor beside Kurt and immediately grabbed his hand to get his attention. "Kurt, what happened? Are you alright? Are you hurt? How long have you been like this?"

When Kurt turned to him Blaine's stomach dropped to the floor and didn't come back up. Kurt's face was streaked with tears and his eyes were puffy, as if he'd been crying for hours on end. He looked at Blaine and a broken sob fell from his lips as his face crumpled and the tears fell hard and fast. On instinct Blaine grabbed him and wrapped an arm tightly around Kurt's shoulders, the other cradling his head as his body shook with sobs.

Although Blaine still had no idea what was going on, he took the opportunity to look around the room, finding it not much better off than the living room. The laundry basket was on its head with its contents strewn quite literally everywhere. Every single one of their drawers was open with the contents half pulled out, and the vanity was in an even worse state than Blaine left it. Behind him he could see the bed had been stripped and the mattress partially lifted.

Blaine was brought back to Kurt when it sounded as if he was on the verge of a panic attack, his breathing ragged and quick. Blaine needed answers, but he needed to calm Kurt down first. He pulled back to look at Kurt directly in the eye.

"Hey, hey. Look at me. I'm right here." He gripped Kurt's shoulders to minimise his trembling and force him to make eye contact, "You need to breathe baby. You have to calm down."

Kurt looked at him finally but his eyes were filled with tears and terror, and Blaine hoped his own panic wasn't showing as he tried to calm Kurt down. "Can you breathe with me? We'll do it together. I'm right here, you're going to be fine, but you need to breathe. Can you take a deep breath?" Blaine repeated his actions and reassurances until Kurt was taking deep breaths in and out, and eventually calmed down enough to stop the panic and trembling.

They both sat in silence for a moment afterwards, Blaine holding Kurt close as his breathing returned to normal. When Kurt started to sniffle against his chest, Blaine pulled back and looked at Kurt again, but his fiancé was still crying.

"I'm sorry, Blaine. I'm so, so sorry." He sniffled, "I don't know how it happened. I was in bed and then the bath but then when I came out I panicked and…and…oh God, Blaine I'm so sorry. I'm a terrible person." His face crumpled again and he buried his head in his hands.

Blaine was beginning to put the pieces together, assuming that someone broke into the apartment while Kurt was in the bath and…trashed the place? Maybe Kurt had scared them off before they could get anything major? Blaine couldn't be sure. He didn't want to upset Kurt more but he really did need to know what had happened, and if he was hurt or if they should be calling the police.

"Baby, tell me what happened. I can help. And you're not a terrible person." Blaine encouraged Kurt. He was surprised when Kurt stood up suddenly and turned away from him, mumbling something as he does but Blaine doesn't catch it. He stood up and approached Kurt, gently squeezing his shoulder. "Kurt, please."

Kurt whirled around to face Blaine, waving his left hand around angrily, "I lost my engagement ring, Blaine! I lost it! I don't know how or when or where but it's _gone!_ " he yelled, looking utterly distraught, "I've been so fucking caught up in stupid work all week that I can't even remember the last time I had it on. What kind of fiancé does that make me? What kind of _person_ does that make me? I'll tell you, a fucking terrible one!"

Kurt started to pace the room but Blaine heaved a sigh of relief. _We haven't been broken into…Kurt isn't hurt. Well, not really_. Blaine tried to interject on Kurt's rant but he doesn't even seem to stop for breath never mind give Blaine a chance to interrupt. Blaine reached into his pocket while Kurt ranted.

"I have searched the whole dam apartment, literally everywhere I can think of – including the trash can! I've called the office, I've called the venues, I've called Rachel, I've searched _everywhere_ Blaine, and I can't find it. I'm so sorry." He finally stops to look at Blaine, but what Kurt see's is definitely not what he was expecting.

Blaine is standing patiently, looking at Kurt as if to say _'are you quite finished?'_ and Kurt's first reaction is to question why Blaine isn't reacting to this awful news. He should be yelling or crying or looking disappointed, but instead he looks relieved and a touch amused. And then Kurt processes the whole scene. A small smile played on Blaine's lips as he gestured to his open palm, on which rests _Kurt's goddam engagement ring_.

Blaine wondered if Kurt's brain shut down for a moment as he was silent for a long time before he finally moved toward Blaine and picked up the ring. He examined it carefully for a moment before he looked at Blaine. "Is this…this is my ring. This is mine. How did you…did you find it? Where was it?"

"It was never lost Kurt. I took it with me this morning." When Kurt frowned Blaine finally realised what had happened, and smiled more, "You don't remember do you? I took it to work today so I could swing by the jewellers on the way home. You know, for the size?"

And Kurt did know. As soon as Blaine said the word _jewellers_ it was like a light bulb turned on in Kurt's mind and he could suddenly see clearly into his memories. _Wedding rings…_ he thought, _we're getting custom wedding rings…and they needed our engagement rings for the sizes…of course._ He looked at Blaine again and immediately felt embarrassed, letting out a massive breath and feeling a days' worth of panic leave him at once. He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly, "Of course…of course. Shit."

Blaine chuckled lightly and walked toward Kurt, taking the ring from him and sliding it back onto its rightful place. But all of a sudden Kurt was crying again and falling into Blaine's arms mumbling apology after apology while Blaine held him close. "I'm sorry, oh god I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I forgot about our wedding rings. I'm a bad fiancé. I'm sorry, Blaine."

Blaine pulls back and looks at Kurt sternly, "Hey, no, none of that. You're not a bad anything. You've had one of the craziest weeks of the year and you're exhausted. You're allowed to be a little forgetful. I'm just thankful you didn't forget our entire engagement." Blaine says that final part with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood considering there isn't actually anything to worry about.

"That's not funny, I could never forget that." Kurt's voice is serious, but gentle, although a small smile plays on his lips as relief floods through him, "I am sorry though. For...well…" he gestures to the bombsite of the room they are standing in.

Blaine nods in agreement, surveying the room from a new height. It doesn't look much better from up here, "Well…you're nothing if not thorough."

Kurt laughed and pushed Blaine playfully, but the smaller boy grabbed onto his hand before he could pull it back and raised it to his lips, carefully kissing the engagement ring. "I'm just glad you're okay. I thought something bad had happened."

"Something did happen. _I_ happened. To our apartment." Kurt grimaced as he finally took in his surroundings, hoping nothing was broken and that his clothes weren't ruined.

"It can all be tidied." Blaine reassured him, "But let me take care of you first." He led them both toward the bed, nudging the mattress back into place and quickly adjusting the blankets before he pushes Kurt to lie down. Blaine climbs up next to him and cuddles him against his chest.

Kurt sighed deeply and twisted his ring around his finger, "I'm never taking this off again. I don't ever want to feel like that again, I was so scared of what you would think."

"No arguments from me." Blaine said, caressing his own ring, "But I want to emphasise to you Kurt, I want to marry you. With or without this ring. A physical ring doesn't influence how much I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He squeezed Kurt against him a little, and Kurt sighed happily in response.

Kurt props himself onto his elbows to look at Blaine "I love you so much." And leans in to kiss his fiancé. Blaine hums happily against Kurt's lips and kisses him back, wondering if it's too soon to hope for that quality time together he was so looking forward to. As if reading his mind, Kurt moves very suddenly and is straddling Blaine's hips as they kiss. Blaine managed to whisper a very breathy "I love you too." In response before they are kissing again.

The rest of the evening is spent tangled in the sheets as Kurt and Blaine reacquaint themselves with each other's bodies. The mess around them is forgotten in favour of gripping on to the others' hand tightly as they remember all the reasons they are about to become husbands, and think about all the years they have ahead of them – hopefully with no rings lost in the process.


End file.
